Showing posts with label Mexican/Tex-Mex. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mexican/Tex-Mex. Show all posts

Grilled Spicy Cod Tacos with Tomato Salsa



Cod fish is sometimes referred to as the “Chicken of the Sea,” as it’s a mild flaky fish that easily takes on the flavors of its seasonings.  

Instead of deep-frying the cod for our fish tacos,  I coated the fish with a spicy ancho chile rub and Bill grilled them to perfection.  The fillets were on the thin side so they would grill quickly, while he used a grill basket to enable flipping them easily, without breaking.



These tacos pack more than just a little heat, thanks to ground ancho chile pepper and jalapeño peppers.   They’re later tempered with cabbage, and tomato salsa when you eat them, but use a light touch, if heat isn’t your thing. 

I make my own salsa, as most store bought salsa contains cilantro, and that only gets through my kitchen door by mistake.


Ready to grill!  Mmmmm!

This is comfort food with no feeling guilty eating it!

Spicy Cod Tacos with Tomato Salsa


For the cod fillets:

1 pound cod fillets
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground ancho chile pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
8 flour tortillas


Garnish:

1 cup shredded white cabbage
Tomato salsa, recipe below
Bermuda onion, chopped
Sour cream


Method:

In a small bowl, combine oregano, paprika, chile pepper, garlic powder, coriander, salt and black pepper.
Sprinkle mixture over fish fillets, and rub to coat.
Heat grill on high.
Place fish in grill basket or grate and brush with olive oil, turn grill down to medium-high.
Grill about 10-12 minutes until fish flakes easily with a fork.


Assemble tacos:  

Use a fork to break cod into flakey pieces and place on warmed (I warm them in the micro) tortillas.  Top with shredded cabbage and tomato salsa.


While fish is cooking, make salsa:


Tomato Salsa

6 plum tomatoes, peeled and seeded
¼ cup chopped onion
1 jalapeño, chopped (for less heat, discard ribs and seeds)
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons lime juice
Salt and pepper, to taste


Method:


Chop tomatoes and place in a medium bowl.
Add remaining ingredients to tomatoes and combine well.
Let stand for 15 minutes to develop flavor and adjust seasonings if necessary.
Refrigerate or let stand at room temperature for 2 hours.
Spoon over tacos.
 4 servings 

ENJOY!






Ground Beef Tacos w/My Homemade Taco Seasoning



There’s nothing fancy about this recipe, and I’m not sure how authentic it is as far as Mexican cuisine goes ~ we just know these beef tacos are fun and taste good!



No matter what type of meat I decide to include in tacos, the cooking is especially easy due to my homemade taco seasoning recipe here.  All the seasonings for the tacos are in the jar, with no measuring of spices each time I make tacos.     





After browning the ground beef and onions, add 3-4 tablespoons of taco seasoning, and a little salt; fill the shells, add toppings, and ¡Olé!  A spicy, tasty dinner with a side of refried beans!

Make your time in the kitchen easier ~ make my Homemade Taco Seasoning!

Ground Beef Tacos w/My Homemade Taco Seasoning

Ingredients:

1 pound lean ground beef
1 medium onion
3-4 tablespoon Homemade Taco Seasoning
Salt, to taste
Taco shells
Favorite taco toppings:  chopped tomatoes, shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, sour cream, and taco sauce.

Method:

Brown meat and onions on medium heat in a skillet.
Add seasonings and combine well.
Transfer to a bowl.
Fill shells with meat, add toppings.
Makes about 10 tacos.
 

¡Buen provecho!







Homey Tamale Pie



I like authentic tamales, but to be honest, making them from scratch scares the heck out of me.  Enter, tamale pie, a great swap for the real thing!



This is another recipe from Martha Stewart’s, Martha’s American Food cookbook, from The Southwest section of the cookbook.  I’ve said it before, this cookbook is on my “favorites” list. 

No shredding meat, neither cornhusk wrapping, nor steaming needed here:  The casserole is layered with the flavors that make authentic tamales, a product of Mexico, so delicious, but with distinctly American ease and with beef or pork being swapped out for lean turkey. 


I use Nora Mill Granary's stone ground cornmeal for the extra crunch


This tamale pie is a tasty example of Tex-Mex cooking that I like cooking here in the Midwest, especially in the cold weather we’re having now:  it’s all of 2 degrees out there now, wind chill –9 degrees; that's on top of the 19.8-inches of snow we had Sunday ~ won't be going to our beach today!

It’s really delicious down to the last bite ~ give it a try!


Tamale Pie
Adapted

Ingredients:

5½ cups water
2 teaspoons salt
1¼ cups yellow cornmeal*
1 tablespoon butter
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 serrano chile, finely chopped
1½ pounds ground turkey breast
1 can (14 ounces) plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped
½ cup low-sodium chicken stock
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon cayenne
8 pimento-stuffed green olives, sliced
4 ounces (1¼ cups) Monterey Jack, grated
Cooking spray
Assorted garnishes, such as chopped tomatoes, red onion, sour cream, jalapeño pepper slices, for serving

Method:

Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan, add salt.
Whisking constantly, add cornmeal in a slow, steady stream, switching to a wooden spoon when cornmeal becomes too thick to whisk.
Reduce heat to medium, and cook, until thick and creamy, about 15 minutes.
Stir in butter, and keep warm over low heat.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Coat a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
Heat oil in large skillet, over medium-high.
Add onion, garlic, bell pepper, chile, and a pinch of salt.
Cook, stirring often, until onion is golden and vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
Add turkey, and cook, breaking into bite-size pieces, until cooked through, about 5-7 minutes.
Stir in tomatoes and juices, stock, chili powder, oregano and cayenne.
Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring, until most of the liquid is absorbed and mixture resembles chili, about 10 minutes.
Stir in olives and season with salt and pepper.
Spread 1½ cups cornmeal into bottom of prepared dish.
Spread turkey mixture on top, then spread remaining cornmeal on top.
Sprinkle with cheese.
Bake until golden brown and cheese is melted, 35-40 minutes.
Let stand 15 minutes.
Serve with garnishes.
*I use stone-ground cornmeal for extra crunch.



ENJOY!





Chicken Fajitas, the easy way



We really like chicken fajitas and I usually grill them, but this time I let the chicken and veggies soak up a good marinade, and then let it all roast in the oven.



They turned out great, the flavors were so delicious, and I let the oven do most of the work. 

This is a simple healthy meal that hit the spot and made us happy.  It doesn’t get much better than this, and it’s easy peasy!


Chicken Fajitas

Ingredients:

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2” strips
1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon ancho chile powder
Non-stick cooking spray
1 Vidalia onion, sliced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 small tomatoes, chopped or 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon seasoned pepper
4 tablespoons salsa
8 flour tortillas

Serve with:
Sliced green onions
Shredded cheddar cheese
Sour cream
Taco sauce

Method:

Heat oven to 400 degrees.
In a bowl, toss chicken with garlic, juice, 1 teaspoon oil and chili powder, marinated for 20 minutes.
Coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray; add chicken with marinade, onion, bell peppers, tomatoes, salt, pepper, salsa and remaining 1 teaspoon oil, toss to combine.
Roast, stirring once, until chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes.
Fill warm tortillas with chicken mixture and serve with toppings.




ENJOY!





Cod Tacos with Grilled Peppers and Onions



Who doesn’t like a good fish taco?  Especially one that’s topped with grilled peppers and onions!

It took me a while to get on the fish taco bandwagon, but now I’m a happy advocate of it, and like about every fish taco I can sink my teeth into. 





The fish and veggies for these tacos are grilled instead of deep-fried, and served with trimmed-down toppings, without sacrificing flavor. The fish is spicy and the peppers are crisp-tender; near perfect and a simple easy dinner that is filling too.



Whenever, we have some warm weather; probably in June, at this rate, the fish and veggies will be cooked outside on the grill ~ I can hardly wait!







Cod Tacos with Grilled Peppers and Onions



Ingredients:



1 white onion, sliced

1 bell pepper, sliced

Cooking spray

1 pound cod

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon garlic powder

8 flour tortillas

Salt and seasoned pepper, to taste



Toppings:



Taco sauce

Jalapeno pepper slices

Shredded lettuce

Diced Tomatoes

Shredded 2% cheddar cheese

Lime wedges



Method:



Preheat stovetop grill to high heat.

Place onion and pepper slices on grill rack coated with cooking spray.

Grill for 10-12 minutes, turning occasionally, set aside.

Coat a large skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat.

Season fish with paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper and place in skillet.

Cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side, until desired doneness.

Warm tortillas according to package directions.

Assemble tacos with fish, onions and peppers and your choice of toppings.

Squeeze lime juice over tacos or use limes for garnish.





ENJOY!






Shrimp Tacos with Coleslaw



We really like shrimp tacos ~ but the kicker here is the great tangy slaw that only makes them better!  The fringe benefit is that the tacos have fewer calories, since neither sour cream, nor shredded cheese is needed.






They were a big hit with us!  The tangy dressing on the slaw was perfect mingling with the shrimp.  I know, for sure, these tacos will be making a repeat performance here many times… 

The slaw makes a delicious side dish for ribs and burgers too!





Coleslaw



Mix together:



2 cups shredded cabbage

1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions

¼ cup chopped parsley



For dressing, mix together:



3 tablespoons sugar (I used Splenda)

2 tablespoons white vinegar

2 tablespoons vegetable oil (I used Canola)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon seasoned pepper (my addition)



Add dressing to shredded cabbage mixture about an hour before serving.

Chill



For Shrimp Tacos with Coleslaw:



Simply heat corn or flour tortillas and spoon in boiled (or roasted) shrimp and the cole slaw.





ENJOY!





Be sure to visit my friend; Linda's blog, My Kind of Cooking, for her great cookbooks, tips and delicious recipes!







Crispy Spicy Jicama Chips

It’s a “Mexican potato” that is in season year-round, looks like a turnip; has either tan, brown or gray skin, with a  crisp juicy, refreshing, slightly white, flesh on the inside, resembling an apple.   

It’s as easy as a potato to peel and I’ve discovered, it’s just as good roasted as it is raw.  It’s jicama ~ Spanish: hee-kah-mah.



Jicama is traditionally served raw, dunked in chili powder, lime and salt to boost its mild flavor; or in a salsa or salad.  I’ve only had jicama raw, in a salsa, so I had a big surprise when I bit into a slice of roasted jicama!

Photo credit:  Cooking Light

A friend, Yvonne, gave me this recipe and I’m glad she did.   Jicama is quick and easy to roast, and retains its crispy crunch and sweetness when it comes out of the oven.  Thinly slice it, dredge with a spicy mixture and roast it to a crunchy chip-like texture.  Roasted jicama is a great substitute for potato chips!  

Here are some jicama tips:

Choose jicama with smooth, thin unblemished skins, a slight shine is an indication of freshness.

Select small or medium tubers’ very large ones are often woody and bland and may have a fibrous layer under the skin that will have to be removed when peeling.

Refrigerate jicama in a paper bag (never in plastic) for up to 2 weeks.

Grate jicama to add to slaws, salsas, sandwiches and tacos.

Jicama is not loaded with nutrients, but is high in fiber, low in calories and sodium, and packed with Vitamin C and rich in potassium.

Diced jicama is excellent steamed or sautéed with other vegetables or added to soups, stews, and such.

Serve chunks of raw jicama with tropical fruits like mango, papaya and pineapple.

Jicama is considered as one of the four elements that are used for the “festival of dead”, which is celebrated by Mexicans on November 1st every year. During this festival, “jicama dolls” are constructed from paper.




Here’s the recipe:


Spicy Jicama Chips
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Peel 2 small jicamas and cut into paper-thin slices with a sharp knife.
Blot well with paper towel.




In a small bowl, mix together:
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon seasoned pepper
¼ teaspoon salt
 
Method:
Dredge jicama with chili powder mixture.
Spread evenly in baking pan sprayed with cooking spray.
Roast until edges are browned and crisp, about 20-25 minutes.
Serve with your favorite salsa.


ENJOY!!!


Be sure to visit my friend, Linda’s blog @My Kind ofCooking for great tips on Tuesday’s and good and easy recipes every Friday!



You know,

nobody can ever

cook as good as

your Mama.

~ Paula Deen


You know, nobody can ever cook as good as your mama. Paula Deen
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/paula_deen_431843?src=t_cook
You know, nobody can ever cook as good as your mama. Paula Deen
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/paula_deen_431843?src=t_cook

DINNER PARTY

DINNER PARTY
Jules-Alexandre Grun

ᴡᴏᴏ ʜᴏᴏ!!!

ᴡᴏᴏ ʜᴏᴏ!!!

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